Bookbinding machines



Aug, 18, 1959 J. B. R. FRENCH BOOKBINDING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Feb. 27, 1957 Inventor Attorney Aug. 18, 1959 1. B. R. FRENCH2,900,093

BOOKBINDING MACHINES Filed Feb. 27, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 InventorZ/D/VEL dawiem/vrf/af/mrfimm Attorney UnitedStates Patent 7 2,900,093BOOKBINDING MACHINES Lionel John Bryant Rushent French, London, EnglandApplication February 27, 1957, Serial No. 642,710. Claims priority,application Great March 2, 1956 2 Claims. 01. 214-1 The machine formingthe subject of the present invention is intended for the combinedoperations of the processes known as unsewn binding and lining of books.

The process of unsewn binding is one in which the folded sections, orloose sheets, composing the complete book, or pad, instead of being wirestitched or sewn with thread, have the back folds of thespine of thebook removed in such a manner as to provide ready absorption of. anadhesive, which, when dried, securely joins the of the books as theyemerge from the machine. Hitherto, the books as they left the conveyorwere picked up and stacked by hand, but'it is proposed with the aid ofthe present invention to provide means whereby the books will beautomatically, stacked, the books being untouched by hand until apredetermined number have been stacked, the stacked books being thenremoved from a platform at the end of the machine.

According to the present invention, in a bookbinding machine of the kindin which the books are conveyed in succession between two conveyorbelts, the books resting cut edges of the sheets together sufiicientlyfirmly for r the book to be usedin the normal manner. his usual to coverthe glued spine of such a book with a strip of paper or cloth, thelatter being used when it is desired to subsequently round and joint thebook.

A machine of the prment invention is very similar in general design andconstruction to that forming the subject of my British Patent No.728,221 with, however, the following additions and modifications.Firstly, the

machine is considerably increased in length to provide space for theunsewn binding device and longer drying time for the books in themachine before they are ejected.

The unsewn binding device consists of a multi-tooth rotary cuttertransposed horizontally below the conveyors ofthe machine in such aposition that books passing spine downwards through the conveyors canhave the back folds of the sections removed by the rapidly rotatingcutter. The plate on which the books are fed into the machine is mountedon ramps so that it can be rapidly adjusted to vary the amount removedby the cutter from the backs of the sections. This cutter is suitablysurrounded by a shrouding piped to a centrifugal extractor fan so thatthe fine swarf removed from the sections is driven through the fan andsubsequently allowed to fall'into the packing device, the air beingallowed to escape through a suitable filter. The packing, deviceconsists of an Archimedean screw which drives the swarf towards anoutlet over which is fixed a sack or bag. The action of the screw is topack the swarf tightly into the sack or bag and thus very substantiallyreduce the amount of space which is otherwise required to accommodateit.

The arrangements for glueing the back of the book and lining are similarto those forming the subject of said Patent No. 728,221 but as a matterof convenience the glue tank is arranged to extract at right angles tothe conveyors, being mounted on slidable runners. To ensure adequateglueing of the book back, two rollers are used, the second of which mayhave a series of spiral flutes cut in its peripheral surface, the effectof this being to rub the cut edges of the book slightly open to permitthe glue to penetrate between them; this is a desirable feature oncertain types of paper.

The books having been glued and lined continue their passage through themachine, the lining between each book being severed in the mannerdisclosed by the specification and drawings of said Patent No. 728,221.

The present invention is concerned with the stacking on their spines, Iprovide a subsidiary conveyor at the discharge end of the main conveyorand running at a higher linear speed, a stacking head on to which the,

books pass one by one from the auxiliary conveyor, the stacking headbeing movable laterally to allow each book to fall on its spine on to astacking platform and to move each book laterally out of the way of thenext succeeding book until a predetermined number of books have beenassembled side by side on the stacking platform.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the delivery end of abookbinding machine incorporating the inventio-n;

Figure 2 is aplan view;

Figure 3 is a section on the line A-B in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section on the line CD in Figure 3 drawn to an enlargedscale;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the machine; and

Figures 7, 8 and 9 are diagrammatic views showing the stackingoperation.

In the bookbinding machine illustrated, the books pass through themachine spine downwards between a pair of conveyor belts 1. Just priorto leaving the conveyor belts 1, the backs contact the belt 2 of afaster moving conveyor mounted at a lower level than conveyor belts 1.In this way, the books which are following one another in closesuccession between belts .1 will have the space between them increasedto secure time to deal with each book separately, the increase in speedof conveyor belt 2 over belts 1 being determined by the minimum size ofbook being dealt with. Instead of the moving belt conveyor, a series ofdriven rollers may be used.

Vertically positioned delivery guides 3 are provided on each side ofbelt 2 which maintain the books vertically, the distance separating theguides being adjustable to suit books of different thicknesses.

As each book leaves the delivery belt 2, it runs on to a stacking head 4set at a slightly lower level, the rear end of the book depressing atrigger 5 (see particularly Figure 6) pivotally mounted at 6, thetrigger actuating a micro-switch 7 which in turn energises a solenoid 8which brings into operation a single cycle clutch illustrated in detailin Figures 4 and 5.

The clutch includes a toothed driving member 9 carried by a shaft 10forming the output shaft of a gearbox 11 the input shaft of which isdriven from one of the pulleys 12. The driven member of the clutchincludes a segmental shaped plate 13 carried by a sleeve 14 which inturn carries a disc 15. The plate 13 carries a pawl 16 pivoted at 17 anda pawl actuating member 18 in turn pivotally mounted at 19, the pawl andpawl actuating member being interconnected by a coil spring 20 whichwill tend to move the actuating member about its pivotal point and as aresult of its interengagement with the pawl in the manner shown inFigure 4 will move the latter into engagement with the teeth of thedriving member 9. Such movement is normally prevented by the rod 21,i.e. the moving member of solenoid 8, but when the solenoid IC6 PatentedAug. 18,1959- is energised, rod 21 moves clear of the part 18 and allowspawl 16 to engage component 9 thereby causing the driven member 13 tomove through one revolution. Retraction of rod 21 is only momentary, andconsequently as the actuating member nears the termination of itstotational movement, it will again-engage the rod 21 which then forms afixed stop and returns the actuating member 18 to its initial positioncausing pawl 16 to disengage and break the driving connection betweenparts 9 and 13.

The part 13 carries a projecting stop member 22 which, as a result ofits engagement with part 18, permits angular movement of the latter inone direction only.

Disc 15 carries an eccentrically positioned crankpin 23 which isuniversally jointed at 24 (see Figure 2) to a link 25 in turnuniversally jointed at 26 to one end of a lever 27 which is pivotedabout the point 28.

The lever 27 is interconnected with one of two parallel arms 29 whichare pivotally connected at 30 to a lateral projection .31 on a stackinghead 32 (see particularly Figures 2 and 6).

The stacking head is of the angle shape shown in end elevation in Figure6 and carries the trigger 5, the microswitch 7 being mounted on a fixedpart of the machine and being operated by the gravity loaded switch arm33.

Consequently, as the book leaves the conveyor belt 2 it falls on to thehorizontal part of the stacking head, depresses trigger and actuatesswitch 7. As a result of the energisation of solenoid 8, rod 21 ismomentarily withdrawn to impart a single rotation of disc 15 which, as aresult of its connection with the stacking head, will move it to theleft (see Figure 5), clear of the book, and allow the latter to fall onto platform 40'. At the same time, trigger 5 will be permitted to resumeits nor.- mal position thus allowing switch arm 33 to fall under gravityto break the electric circuit. The stacking head during the second halfof the movement of disc 15 will then engage the book and move itlaterally to the right of Figure 6, the stacking head then remainingstationary until the next succeeding book operates the trigger.

The stacking of the books is diagrammatically shown in Figures 7, 8 and9, and it will be seen that each book, as it is moved laterally by thestacking head, overrides a lightly spring urged pawl 34 which holds thebook in an upright position in one direction, the opposite side of thebook contacting a lightly spring loaded retaining arm 35 pivotallymounted at the point 36. The pawl 34 projects through an opening 37 inthe vertical part of the stacking head and in the case of large books isnot used, as the book previously stacked will be held upright by thesucceeding book on the stacking head.

When a determined number of books have been stacked side by side, aprojection 38 on the arm 35 operates a micro-switch 39 which closes anelectrical circuit containing an electric bell, to give an audiblewarning to the 4 machine operator that the pile of stacked books shouldbe removed and placed on a-trolley or skip.-

The pile of books removed can then be trimmed, preferably en bloc.

With certain types of adhesive it is preferable to heat the stackingplatform which can then conveniently be of box form and heatedelectrically. The action of dropping the books on to the stackingplatform on their spines knocks them up square on their spines, in whichposition they will be maintained whilst on the platform.

I claim: V

1. In a bookbinding machine a pair of parallel, horizontally spaced,main conveyor belts between which the books are conveyed horizontally inclosely spaced, endto-end relationship spine downwards, a subsidiaryconveyor belt adjacent the discharge end of and below the main conveyorbelts onto which the books pass in succession before leaving the mainconveyor belts, means for driving the subsidiary conveyor belt in thesame general direction and at a higher speed than the main conveyorbelts whereby each book will be speeded up just before leaving thelatter, a stacking head having a top portion on to which the books passone by one from the auxiliary conveyor, means for retaining a book inspine downwards position while on the top portion of said stacking head,a stacking platform lying beneath the stacking head adapted to hold ahorizontal stack of books, means for moving the stacking head. laterallyfrom beneath a book thereon to permit said book to fall spine downwardson to the stacking platform and for returning said stacking head to itsinitial position to receive the next succeeding book, at the same timemoving the book on the stacking platform laterally to leave sufiicientspace for the next succeeding book to fall on to the platform from thestacking head when the latter is next moved.

2. A bookbinding machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the top portionof said stacking head is positioned slightly below a book carried onsaid auxiliary conveyor, switch means positioned adjacent the end of thestacking head nearest said auxiliary conveyor for controlling themovement of said stacking head whereby said switch means is operatedonly by the trailing end of a book after it leaves said conveyor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS WellsDec. 6, 1955

